Music-leaf tubneb



Jan. 27, 1931. U 1,790,537

IusI'c LEAF TURNER Filed Aug. 1. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l F/a/f Jan. 27, 1931. I DUNN 1,790,537

IUSI C LEAF TURNER Filed Aug. 1928 Z'Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 27, 1931 PATENT OFFICE JOHN H. DUNN, OF BURLINGTON, IOWA MUSIC-LEAF TURNER Application filed August 11, 1928. Serial No. 299,026.

The invention has relation to music leaf turners, having for an object the provision of an improved device of this description.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combinations of parts asset forth in the appended claims. I a

In the accompanyingJdrawings illustrating the invention Figure 1' isa front view of the invention with the front cover of the lower horizontal hollow bar or box removed Figure 2 is a side view of the invention partly in section; Figure 3 is a rear view of the mechanism contained in the lower horizontal bar or box, and Figure 4. is a plan view of the same.

111 these drawings the numeral 1 designates the music rack, adapted to be supported upon a piano, a music stand, or other place and having a hollow upright center bar 2, wherein a rotatable sleeve 3 has bearings, said sleeve carrying at its upper end a radial arm i, having at its free end dependingspaced fingers 5 adapted to be engaged with a sheet of music to be turned, the lower end of said sleeve car- '25 rying fast thereto a small gearwheel or pinion 6. Rotatably mounted within the sleeve J; is a concentric sleeve 7, the latter carrying at its upper end fast thereto a radial arm 8 located above and s aced from and somewhat longer than the radial arm 4, arm 8 having alsodepending spaced fingers 9 for" engagement witha sheet of music to be turned. The lower end of the inner concentric sleeve 7 is provided with a small gear wheel or pinion l0, located below and spaced from the pinion (3. Rotatably mounted within the sleeve 7 is a rod 11, concentric with the sleeves 4 and 7. said rod carrying at its upper end fast thereto a radial arm 12 located above and spaced from and somewhat longer than the radial arm 8, the arm 12 having also depending fingers, designated 13, which are adapted to be engaged with a sheet of music to be turned. The rod 11' has at its lower end a fast gear wheel or pinion 14 located above and spaced from the pinion 10, the three pinions being in line.

The music rack is provided with a lower horizontal hollow bar or box 15, wherein the 59 three said pinions are located centrally thereof. 16 is a base plate forming the bottom of said hollow bar or box 15 and carrying uprights 17 within slots of which reciprocatory bars 18 have movement. Each of said bars 18 is provided with a notch 19 in its upper surface, a rack 20, and a retraction spring 21.

These reciprocatory bars are located one above another in upright series and the racks thereof are engaged by the pinions 6, 10 and 1 k aforesaid, whereby movement of said bars will cause movement of 'saidvpinions and re tate the radial arms 4, 8, and 12 through 180 or a half circle. Movement of any one of sa d bars in one direction will cause rotation of the related radial arm" to the extentstated.

In the use of the invention, the radial arms are first set to the right, which may be accomplished by moving all of he reciprocatory bars 18, to the left this being done by the use of setting devices consisting otparall'el spaced horizontal push rods working in slots of uprights 23 of the base plate. each push rod having an operating projection 24 and a retraction spring and relating to one of the reciprocatory bars 18; These bars being set to the lett'are ca ught'and held with theretraction s]')rings thereof under tension. by pawls 26, one for each bar, said pa wls being pivoted at 27 and having offset teeth 28. each engaged with the notch of the related bar 18, a spring 29 serving to hold the pawl depressed with its tooth engaged with the notch-of the bar.

The radial arms 4, 8, and 12 being then set to the right and the depending fingers thereof engaged with the sheets of music to be turned, it remains to move the radial arms one at a time through an arm of 180 to first Position in order to turn the sheets (if-music this being done by means of horizontally spaced depressible vertical pins orkeys 31), of which there are three, one for each radial arm to be turned, these keys being in horizontal series. engaging perforations of the top of the horizontal box 15 and at their lower ends engaging respectively with levers 31, of which there are three, one for each pawl 26, said levers being fulcrumed at 32 and having their work arms engaged under the teeth of the pawls 26, and'the'ir power arms of different lengths so that the horizontal series of depressible releasing keys will engage each one of said levers and separately depress the same to release the related bar 18, whereupon its retraction spring will operate to shoot he bar home to normal position, and thereby flip the related radial arm and turn the sheet of music engaged thereby.

In order that all of the bars 18, the concentric rod and sleeves, radial arms and depending fingers for turning the sheets of music may be set simultaneously by a single operation, the middle of the reciprocatory bars, which are parallel and horizontal, is provided with rear projections 33, one of which extends downwardly in rear of the lower bar 18, and the other upwardly in rear of the upper bar 18, so that when. the upper bar 18 is moved. to set position by its push rod device, a rear projection 34 thereof will engage upper projection 33 of the middle bar and move said bar therewith, the lower projection 33 of the middle bar in turn engaging a rear projection of the lower bar and moving the latter therewith, the three holding pawls 26 engaging the upper notches of the bars simultaneously.

The depressible keys 30 for turning the sheets of music are operated from left to right, one at a time, and each of said keys is raised above the others by the raising of the levers 31 (power arms thereof) when the other or work arms of the levers are de pressed by engagement of the teeth of the U pawls 26 with the notches of the bars 18.

If there is but one sheet of music to be turned, only one key 30 will be raised, being the endmost key or pin to the right, if two sheets are to be turned, two keys 30 will be raised, and if three sheets are to be turned, three keys 30 will be raised, these keys being when not raised, incapable of operation owing to being flush at the tops thereof with the top of the box 15.

Any music sheet of the three engaged by the radial arm fingers of the concentric red and sleeves may be returned to normal or first position after turned, in case a repetition is wan ed, by moving the proper one of the operating projections The setting means, the releasing means, the reciprocatory bars and he gear wheels for the rotation of the concentric rod and sleeves 3, 7, and 11, to turn the music sheets, are all compactly arranged and located within said hollow bar or box 15 and thereby protected. Such operating mechanism is all'attached to the base plate 16 of said box and may be inserted in position and removed as a unit.

At the upper end of the upright center bar 2 of the music rack, is a flat plate extension 36 in line with said bar and to which are secured two spaced depending clamping tongues 37, 37, cooperating with the flat surface of said plate to hold right hand and the left hand portion of a small lightweight music book vith the middle leaves thereof free in order that they may be readily turned.

In case a piece of music has but one sheet to be turned the back cover sheet is engaged under spring tongue 37 only, which is long er than tongue 37, with the hinge or fold at the left of spring tongue 37 the lower part of the back cover sheet being engaged by lower spring tongue 38, which is capable of being turned forward piviotally if desired previous to clamping engagement with the sheet of music. This being done, the loose sheet is then engaged with the spaced fingers 13 of the longest radial arm 12, the latter being then set to the right by operation of the related setting projection 2- which is the lowermost of the three setting projections. The related depressible key 30, which is the endmost to the right will be raised above the others and above the top surface of hollow box 15 in the setting, and upon depression of the same the sheet of music will be flipped over to the left.

In the case of a piece of music having two sheets to be turned, proceed as above, engaging one of the sheets to be turned with the spaced fingers 13 of the longest radial arm 12, and the 0' her with the spaced fingers of the middle radial arm both of these radial arms being then set to the right by operation of the related setting projections 24, being the two lowermost although as explainedmovement of the middle setting projection will move the lower one therewith. The related of the'depressible keys 30, which are the two endmost to the right will be raised above the others, and upon depression of the same, beginning with the one to the left, the sheets of music will be flipped over to the left seriatim. It will be noted that it is not possible to readily depress the wrong key 30 and flip the wrong sheet.

in case of a piece of music having three sheets to be turned, proceed as before, but engaging both spring tongues 37, 37, with the music, one at each side of the fold or hinge, engaging the first sheet to be turned with the spaced fingers of the longest of the radial arms, the middle sheet to be turned with the spaced fingers of the middle radial arm, and the third sheet to be turned with the spaced fingers of the shortest radial arm. the tl lee radial arms being then set to the right by operation of the related setting projections 24, beginning with the lowest projection, if the setting is to be separafely accomplished, which is easier, as only one retraction spring is then tensioned at a time, or using the uppermost projection 24, if all three are to be set at the same time. The depressible keys 30, of which all three are raised in the setting, are then depressed in order as gepgnred, beginning with the endmost to the than three sheets of music without a new insertion of sheets to be turned by a further duplication of the parts, as will be obvious. 1n the case of a music book of bulky character, having many leaves, the upper and lower spring tongues 37, 37 and 38 are disregarded, and the book is inserted in the de' vice behind the spaced fingers of the radial arms and resting upon lower out-turned brackets 39, of which there are two, one at each side of the music rack. This being done, one, two or three leaves to be turned are then engaged as stated previously with the spaced fingers of the radial arm or arms, said arms or arms are set, and the turning accomplished by depression of the depressible key or keys.

The music is readily inserted in position and readily removed, and it is not necessary to have the fold or hinge exactly in the center of the rack.

The rear portion or back of the music rack is provided with props 40, one at each side, to support the rack at a suitable incline, and with a. center piece 11, for engagement with a music stand support.

Means are provided to prevent the depres sion of the wrong key 30 and turning of the wrong sheet of the music, this being the same means provided to enable all of the bars 18, the concentric rod and sleeves, radial arms, and depending fingers to be set simultane ously by a single operation, namely the upper and. lower rear projections 33 of the middle bar 18, rear projection 34 of the upper bar 18, and rear projection 35 of the lower bar 18.

1. claim 1-- 1. In a music leaf turner, a plurality of concentric rotatable shafts carrying at one end each a radial arm having fingers for turning the music leaves and at the other end each a gear wheel, a plurality of parallel spring retracted reeiprocatory bars carrying each a rack engaging one of said gear wheels, means for independently setting said shafts and lingers including a spring catch for holding each bar as set and a spring retracted pusher device for each bar, independent releasing means including a lever for raising each catch and a depressible key for operating each lever, and means for normally concealing said keys from view adapted to cause the keys to be independently exposed to view in the setting operation.

In a. music leaf turner, a music rack having a central upright hollow bar and a. lower horizontal hollow bar, a plurality of corn centric rotatable shafts located within said upright hollow bar and carrying each at one end a radial arm having fingers, and at the other end each a. gear wheel, a plurality of parallel spring retracted reeiprocatory bars carrying each arack engaging one of said gear wheels, means for independently setting said shafts and fingers including a spring catch for holding each reciprocatory bar as set and a spring retracted pusher device for each bar, and independent releasing means including a lever for raising each catch and a depressible key for operating each lever, said gear wheels, reciprocatory bars, setting means and releasing means being all compactly arranged within said lower horizontal bar, said keys projecting upwardly within horizontally aligned perforations of the top of said lower horizontal bar.

3. In a music leaf turner, a. plurality of concentric rotatable shafts carrying at one end each a radial arm having fingers for turning the music leaves and at the other end each a gear wheel, a plurality of parallel spring retracted reciprocatory bars carrying each a rack engaging one of said gear wheels, means for independently setting said shafts and lingers including a spring catch for holding each bar as set and a spring retracted pusher device for each bar, and independent releasing means including a lever for each catch and depressible key for each lever, and a frame member having perforations Within which said keys are normally depressed and concealed and above which each key is inclependently raised into view in the setting operation.

4. In a music leaf turner, a music rack having a central upright hollow bar and a lower horizontal hollow bar, aplurality of concentric rotatable shaft-s located within said upright .hollow bar and carrying each at one end a radial arm having fingers and at the other end each a gear wheel, a plurality of spring retracted parallel reciprocatory bars carrying each a rack engaging one of said gear wheels, means for independently setting said shafts and. fingers, and independent releasing means including a. depressible key for each reciprocatory bar, the setting means and the releasing means, the reciprocatory bars and the gear wheels, being all compactly arranged Within said lower horizontal bar, the top of the latter having a horizontally aligned series of perforations and said keys being normally depressed within the same and each raised above the top of the same in the setting operation.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

JOHN H. DUNN. 

